Note: There will be no Community News issue
out in July. The next issue will be out August 4, 2003.

Hurricane season is here. I
want to remind you all to have a disaster plan in place for
yourself and your family. Know what you will do when a
hurricane approaches and have plenty of necessary supplies on
hand so you don't have to fight the last minute shopping
crowds that inevitably appear when a hurricane approaches.
There are some other things you should do to prepare yourself
ahead of time for the possibility of a storm strike in the
Keys.

Remember to pick up re-entry
stickers for your cars if you don't already have one. They are
available at any Sheriff's Office building or county tag
office. The stickers will facilitate your re-entry to the
county after a hurricane passes. If you don't have a sticker,
deputies stationed in Florida City will need to see proof that
you live or own property in Monroe County before letting you
return.

Keep in mind, though, evacuees
will only be allowed back in to the county when officials
determine that it is safe. If you evacuate, you should listen
to television and radio reports and wait to return until
county officials announce that it is time for you to do so.
There will be a staging area in Florida City where returning
evacuees will be directed, but the area will not be
comfortably equipped for long stays. For your own safety and
comfort, stay put until you are directed to return.

There are two phone numbers you
should take with you when you leave. The Monroe County
Emergency Information line is 1-800-955-5504. Volunteers will
be answering that line after the Emergency Operations Center
is activated, and will be able to provide up to date
information about the county's status in relation to the
existing emergency situation. The State Office of Emergency
Management also has their Florida Emergency Information Line,
which is also activated in the event of an emergency and which
will have up-to-date information available about Monroe County
if a hurricane hits. That phone number is 1-800-342-3557.

The Sheriff's Office web site
and the County's web site both offer extensive resources to
educate you about preparing for a storm and dealing with a
storm before, during and after it happens. On the Sheriff's
Office site, the information is located at
http://www.keysso.net/pio/tropical/tropical.htm and on the
County's web site, the information is at
http://www.co.monroe.fl.us/pages/hurrican/hprepcov.htm.
Spend some time acquainting yourself with local shelter
locations for your area and evacuation routes. If you are a
person with special needs and you need help with evacuation to
a shelter, or evacuation out of the county, contact Monroe
County Social Services. Information about the Monroe County
Special Needs Registry and contact information for Social
Services can be found at
http://www.co.monroe.fl.us/pages/hurrican/ssneeds.htm.

Rest assured there are many
dedicated Sheriff's Office and county employees who will be
stationed in the Emergency Operations Center in Marathon for
the duration of any major emergency, working to keep you as
safe as possible. We have all trained exhaustively to make
sure we know what to do and you can rely on the
recommendations issued from the EOC to help you make crucial
decisions when a hurricane or other disaster occurs.

Traffic information on the Sheriff's
Web Site

In
an effort to keep citizens up to date about road conditions, the
Sheriff's Office is offering two new sections of the web site which
should be useful to everyone driving on Highway U.S. One. You can see up
to date information about traffic accidents, and other road impediments
on www.keysso.net.

On our Traffic Enforcement pages of the
site (http://www.keysso.net/patrol_ops/traffic/traffic.htm),
citizens and members of the media will find information from the Florida
Department of Transportation, and from the Sheriff's Office about
planned road or lane closures on the highway, as well as special events
which may impede traffic.

On the Sheriff's WebCAD (http://www.keysso.net/pio/cfs_offense/webcad.htm),
which features live calls for service as they are happening, citizens
and members of the media will find information about serious accidents
occurring on the highway. A serious accident would include those
expected to impede traffic for a significant length of time, and/or
those involving serious injuries or hazardous materials. The information
on WebCAD includes where the accident is and when it happened, what
agency is investigating the accident, how many cars are involved,
whether the road is closed or not, and, if available, an estimate of how
long the road is expected to be affected by the accident.

The Overseas Highway is the only
roadway running the length of our island chain, and the Sheriff's Office
realizes the importance it plays in all of our lives. The Florida
Highway Patrol is the primary agency that investigates accidents on the
Highway. The Sheriff's Office simply lends support in the form of
traffic control at most accident scenes. But in the interests of keeping
people as informed as possible about traffic related issues, the
Sheriff's Office determined it was important to find a way to let people
know the most important information about serious accidents that take
place.

As
a reminder, no one should call Sheriff's Office dispatchers to check
traffic conditions. Dispatchers are extremely busy answering emergency
calls and don't have time to issue traffic reports. Instead, tune in
local radio stations or, if you have a computer available, visit the
Sheriff's Office web site at
www.keysso.net.

On Tuesday, August 5 from 6 – 9pm, upper Keys
Neighborhood Crime Watch members in our area will participate
in National Night Out, a nationwide celebration of the
effectiveness of the crime watch program.

While plans are still tentative, the group is
working on a family style picnic to be held at Key Largo
Community Park. Information tables will be set up by law
enforcement and fire departments, as well as other government
agencies, to give information on the services they provide.

Several crime watch members are
also searching for entertainment for the evening.

All members of the public are invited to this
event where we hope to encourage people to increase their
participation in the Neighborhood Crime Watch program. If
anyone is interested in helping with the event, or wants more
information on Neighborhood Crime Watch, please call the
Plantation Key Substation, 853-3211.

This month I would like to talk
to you about traffic safety, your children and your property.

Always wear your seatbelt in
the manner in which it was designed to be worn and make sure
everyone else in your vehicle does too. Drive with safety in
mind, especially when children are at risk such as in
neighborhoods, school zones, play areas and parks. If you
observe reckless driving in you neighborhood call the
Sheriff's Office Traffic Enforcement Unit. We have the ability
to come to your neighborhood, survey the situation and access
the problem. We can then address the problem with a number of
countermeasures up to and including additional traffic
enforcement in the area.

Make
sure your children wear approved bicycle helmets. Not only is
it the law that children under the age of 16 wear a helmet
when riding a bike anywhere but it is your child's best
measure of protection against serious injury in even minor
accidents. If you are going to ride a bicycle after the hours
of darkness you must have a light which can be seen by
oncoming traffic and pedestrians. This is not only for your
protection but for theirs as well so keep in mind that it is
your responsibility.

Always
turn off your engine, lock the ignition and take your keys
when leaving your car unattended for any period of time. This
means even on your own property. Many vehicles that have been
stolen were driven away by a car thief who was presented an
easy opportunity to do so by an owner who had left the keys in
the car. Thieves know many people leave their keys on the
floorboard or in the sun visor - don't do that - take them
with you. If your car is stolen and a Sheriff's Deputy sees it
being driven and attempts to stop the thief, innocent people
may be put into a dangerous situation. Don't let that happen -
let's decrease auto thefts starting today by not giving the
car thieves an easy opportunity.

Traffic Safety is YOUR business. You are the one driving the
car so the responsibility to keep yourself, your passengers,
the motoring public and pedestrians free from injury is yours.
Lets all work together to safeguard our community and our
children. If there is anything that we can do for you please
stop in or call me at the Marathon

Sector Lieutenant Retires:Sector One is saying goodbye to Station
Commander Lt. George Simpson (who is retiring with the
honorary title of Captain). Captain Simpson has been with
the department since August 23, 1979 as a Corrections
Officer at the old Key West Detention Facility. During his
career with the Sheriff's Office he obtained his Law
Enforcement Certification and has held the positions of a
Deputy Sheriff, Corporal, Road Patrol Sergeant, Road
Patrol and Special Investigations Lieutenant and is now
retiring as a Law Enforcement Captain on June 30, 2003 .
Taking his place is Lt. Mitch Snider, who comes to Sector
One from the Training Division.

Don't be an easy target
for crime: While this
is a very safe County and we all should feel secure here, that
does not mean that crime does not exist and that you will
never be a victim of crime. We strive to do the best that we
can to make your lives as safe and secure as possible, but we
still need your help. We always need the citizens to be an
extra set of eyes and to tell us what is going on within your
neighborhoods. You live there and know what is unusual and
what is normal. Who should be there and who should not be
there. We do not want you to confront people or become
involved in potentially dangerous situations, however. We want
you to contact us if you see something that is not normal
and/or suspicious.

Many crimes in our county
are crimes of opportunity.
These types of crimes are, for the most part, easily
preventable. For instance, when you leave your vehicle, do not
leave your purse, camera, computers or other valuable items in
plain view. You are asking for someone to break your window
and steal your property. Do not keep large amounts of cash
with you and if you do have a large sum of cash, keep it out
of sight do not display it in front of people. Lock your home
while you are there and when you leave. Many homes are
burglarized because people leave their homes unlocked and make
it easy for a burglar to enter. Lock your vehicle when it's
not in use even when it's parked in front of your home. Kids
like to enter unlocked vehicles to steal change and other
items, and unlocked vehicles are also a target for car theft.
After boating put your rods, reels and dive gear away.
Equipment lying on a dock or easily accessible in a rod holder
is an extremely easy target for theft. Criminals have been
known to use small boats to cruise up and down canals looking
for these items.

Bringing Monroe County Building & Code
Enforcement Online

One-Stop-Shop

The Monroe
County Building & Code Enforcement Departments are pleased to announce the
debut of their new state of the art ONE-STOP-SHOP online services. This
online Internet Kiosk for the Encompass Community Development System, is
driven by software that provides the public with the ability to search and
display information about property records, permits, contractors, licenses
and other related information contained within Encompass. Additionally, it
allows individuals to download applications for, as well as check the
status of permits. It also allows qualified individuals to request
inspections and update-related information over the Internet. "This brings
us into the 21st Century of E-Government services," stated Joe
Paskalik, Director of the Monroe County Building Department.

The One
Stop Shop website provides assistance and information with its many
functions. The property search function allows you to search and
display property information such as assessment, ownership, zoning and
other demographic information. Property may be searched using common
request information and when found can be linked to related permit
information. This function may be linked to an Internet accessible Geographic
Information System

Contractor Search allows you to search and display contractor information
like contact, certification and licensing information. Optionally, it also
permits access to information regarding recent projects within the
community.

Permit
Status
provides real time information regarding the permit application and plan
review status, (including reviewer notes). It also allows the display of
inspection schedules and complete result information for qualified
persons.

Permit
Applications
gives the contractor or property owner the ability to download a permit
application for approved permit types. Applications along with plans and
all appropriate Documentation and Approvals can then be submitted to one
of the Building Department locations.

Inspection Request
provides qualified individuals with the ability to request inspections
online. Existing inspection information for the affected permit is
available, pending inspections can be rescheduled as needed. Requests are
immediately reflected in the system for access by inspectors and
scheduling personnel.

Code
Enforcement
tracks complaints and ordinance violations from initial contact through
board agenda and displays the detail case information as well as the
inspections/events. A variety of search methods are provided for
flexibility, and help ensure fast, accurate results.

You can
access the new One-Stop-Shop online at
http://oss.monroecounty-fl.gov. The Monroe County Building Department
is excited about bringing this online service to the public. It is an
effective way to deliver a high level of service to residents and
customers. The One-Stop-Shop provides citizens and
businesses with easier, more convenient access to government services,
while saving time and dollars for everyone.

Monroe County Fire Rescue Donates
Portable Defibrillator

Monroe County Fire Rescue recently
donated an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to Fiesta Key Resort on
Long Key. This portable device assists the staff at the resort by
stabilizing a cardiac arrest victim until the Fire Rescue department
arrives. Fishermen's Hospital staff provided AED training and
certification to Fiesta Key Resort staff as part of their "Heart Safe"
Public Access Defibrillation Program.

The cooperative effort to provide
life saving techniques to isolated portions of Monroe County was the
intent of the Conch Key Volunteer Fire Department's Board of Directors who
generously donated the AEDs to the County. The former Board of Directors
of the Conch Key Volunteer Fire Department purchased the AED's using money
donated during annual fund-raisers. The Board has since dissolved, leaving
the equipment to Monroe County Fire Rescue, who must now fulfill their
wishes to benefit the Keys.

In addition to the AED donated to
Fiesta Key Resort, the cooperative efforts of Monroe County Fire Rescue
and Fishermen's Hospital staff are working to train and certify staff at
Hawk's Cay Resort. The ownership of another AED will transfer to Hawk's
Cay following the completion of their training and certification.

Innovative crime prevention techniques:
The best security systems are often the most unfamiliar. For example, one
man, who is frequently away from home for long stretches, was the target
of a break-in some time ago. He didn't want to spend a fortune on a
high-end security system and figured that skilled thieves probably could
outsmart such a system anyway. What did he do? He bought two dozen red
laser pointer pen lights. He positioned them across his windows and he
turns them on when he leaves town. To anyone looking at the house, it
appears as though he has an ultra-high-tech laser beam security system.

There are many inexpensive ways to help
make your home secure. Put a sticker in your window indicating you have an
alarm. This will scare off many would be burglars. Place "Beware of dog"
signs on fences and gates. Most burglars will avoid breaking in to homes
where dogs might bite them. Use your imagination, as in the above example.
Come up with unique ways to make your property less desirable as a target.

Charitable Contributions:
Make sure you know which charity you are giving to. There may be several
with similar names. Ask questions before donating. Don't be swept up by
emotion. Insist on details about what the charity does, for example if the
charity says it helps children, find out specifically how, where and when.
Remember: not all non-profit organizations are charities. Donations to
non-charities are not tax deductible. If you have any doubts about the
legitimacy of the organization, ask them to mail you information so you
can check it over more closely before giving. If they are legitimate, they
should have no trouble complying with the request.

Keeping kids safe:
For information about how to keep your children safe, how to prevent
abductions, internet safety, and for information about medical safety
issues, visit this web site:
www.safechild.net.

This letter is not really from the IRS,
from the Sheriff's Star
magazine:With tax season still
on everyone's mind, as well as the fear that a letter from the IRS can
create in even the most honest of citizens, con artists have concocted a
new scam to pull on an unsuspecting public.

The Internal Revenue Service has warned of
a fraudulent scheme that uses fictitious bank correspondence and IRS forms
to trick taxpayers into disclosing their personal and banking data. The
information is then used to steal the taxpayer's identity, credit and
money. This is how the scam works. The official looking letter states that
the bank must update its records to pinpoint customers who are exempt from
the withholding tax on interest paid on their bank accounts. The mailing
includes what looks like an official Internal Revenue Service form, called
Form W-9095, which asks for your personal information. In fact, the letter
actually mentions the name of your bank.

Legally, banks must report interest to the
IRS and taxpayers must include it as income, so it would seem that this
"bank" correspondence is actually legitimate.

There's also an urgency to the appeal. The
letter tells recipients they must fax the completed form to a specific
number within seven days or lose the reporting and withholding exemption,
resulting in withholding of 31 percent on the account's interest.

Once faxed, of course, the scam artists use
the information to impersonate the taxpayer and gain access to their
finances.

If you receive such correspondence, contact
your bank and immediately report the letter to officials. Call the
Treasury Inspector General Tax Administration's hot line at 800-366-4484,
or fax a complaint to 202-927-7018. The TIGTA's web site is located at
www.ustreas.gov/tigta.

A copy of the scam letter and phony W-9095
may be found on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's web site
at www.occ.treas.gov.

Remember: giving away private information
can lead to a financial mess. Such information can be used to steal your
money and your good name and can severely damage your credit record. If
you have questions about financial scams, you can contact the Sheriff's
Office Community Relations Division for more information at 305-292-7116,
or email Crime Watch Coordinator Deputy Emil LaVache at
elavache@keysso.net.